Rodgers fine, sits 2nd half, top seed Packers lose to Lions

Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdown passes in the first half and sat out the second half with nothing at stake as the Detroit Lions beat the top-seeded Green Bay Packers 37-30 Sunday.

Backup Jordan Love threw two interceptions late in the game, sealing a defeat that didn't affect Green Bay’s playoff positioning.

Rodgers, the reigning NFL MVP who may win the award for a fourth time, was 14 of 18 for 138 yards.

He threw a 1-yard pass to Allen Lazard to cap a 13-play, 74-yard drive that took 7:18 off the clock to open the game and a 29-yard pass to the fourth-year receiver late in the second quarter for another score.

Rodgers replaced his helmet with a baseball cap at halftime and watched the rest of the game from the sideline out of harm's way.

With the win, though, they lost a shot at having the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft that was possible because Jacksonville toppled Indianapolis.

The tricky Lions tied it 7-all late in the first quarter when seldom-used Tom Kennedy ended up with the ball on a reverse and threw a

Detroit took a 24-13 lead early in the third on a reverse flea-flicker with Jared Goff throwing a 36-yard touchdown pass to Brock Wright.

Love threw a go-ahead, 62-yard touchdown pass to Josiah Deguara with 4:49 left in the fourth, but the Packers could not hold on for the win.

D’Andre Swift scored on a 14-yard run with 1:54 left to put Detroit back ahead.

C.J. Moore intercepted Love’s pass at the Green Bay 36 on the ensuing possessions after it was deflected by linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, setting up Riley Patterson’s field goal to put the Lions up by a touchdown.

Love threw a second interception with 21 seconds left.

INJURIES

Packers: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling left the game with a back injury. ... OT David Bakhtiari, a 2020 All-Pro, started and played for first time since tearing his left ACL on Dec. 31, 2020. ... C Josh Myers started after getting removed from IR on Saturday. The rookie second-round pick from Ohio State had been out since had a knee injury on Oct. 17 at Chicago.

Lions: OT Taylor Decker (foot) and C Evan Brown (ankle) were injured during the game.

UP NEXT

Packers: practice, rest and prepare to play in two weeks.

Lions: begin offseason project of making changes on the roster and coaching staff.